The traditional method of sending multiple documents via email is failing to meet the sophisticated needs of today’s real estate clients, according to industry veteran Mark Choey, CEO of Highnote.
“When you send an email with five, six documents and links, it’s very hard for the end user to digest and consume that material effectively,” says Choey, who previously built one of the country’s top 250 brokerages before founding real estate technology company Highnote.
According to Choey, this communication challenge is particularly acute because most real estate professionals aren’t naturally tech-savvy. “If you’re in sales, especially in real estate sales, you’re generally not tech savvy, and you’re not a graphic designer, you’re a people person,” he explains.
Choey argues that effective client communication requires more than just transferring information, it needs to be presented in a way that builds trust and demonstrates professionalism.
“We take your materials and we make it stand out, make it look better than just an email, we tell you what is being read, how long, what device, how many times,” Choey says, describing his company’s approach to modernizing real estate communications.
Drawing an analogy to physical presentations, Choey explains: “Imagine if I was to give that to you manually. You know, I’m not just going to print them out and just dump them on your doorstep, right? It’s going to be put into a nice presentation box, in a nice folder and a nice binder, organized, labeled.”
This same level of professional presentation needs to exist in digital form, he argues, particularly given the high-stakes nature of real estate transactions.
Beyond mere presentation, Choey says modern communication tools need to provide insights into how clients engage with materials. This data helps agents understand client interests and concerns, allowing for more informed follow-up conversations.
As the industry continues to evolve, Choey sees presentation and communication technology becoming increasingly sophisticated. His company is developing new features including “video headers and video banners and video assets,” along with AI-powered tools to automate content creation.
However, he emphasizes that these tools should enhance rather than replace the fundamental human connection at the heart of real estate transactions.
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